Natural disasters and war put people in danger. Humanitarian agencies’ mission is to save lives. They operate in challenging conditions, and their staff members run serious personal risks. In many cases, their action can contribute to bringing about long-term development. Experts disagree on whether – and to what extent – driving change belongs to an agency’s duties or whether that only distracts from the top priority of rescuing people.

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contributed to D+C/E+Z in spring 2018 as research associate of the University of Potsdam project mentioned in the essay. It is funded by the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft – DFG) and directed by Professor Andrea Liese. Field research was conducted in Haiti, Niger, Colombia, Sierra Leone and Côte d’Ivoire.